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Rochdale trio are open for business

Ian Ogden
1/ 7/2005

Golf

THERE will be an unusually strong Rochdale presence when the regional qualifiers for The Open get under way on Monday.

Bidding to make the ultimate goal of reaching St Andrews on 14 July will be Steve Lord, plus two of professional Andy Laverty's young assistants, Steve Gowers and Karl Tighe. All three tackle the testing Pleasington course at Blackburn.

On the domestic front, Ernie Johnson swept to victory in Rochdale's Mycock Trophy with rounds of 66 and 68.

He had a massive seven-shot cushion over Brendan Hoyle, with Neil Hindle and Dave Platt one stroke further back.

The subsidiary competition was won by Bernard Dempsey with a 63. That was three better than Alan Marston.

Saturday was an important day in Lobden's calendar, with the President's prize up for grabs.

The winner was Steve Brown whose 65 pipped Ian Tweedale and Tony Collins by one shot.

A spectacular round of 69 by 10-handicapper Peter Caine gave him a three-shot win over David Mellor in the fourth captain's qualifier at Springfield Park, while 24 hours later 42 points was just enough to see Trevor Scowcroft home in the third qualifying round of the Hope competition.

Maureen Nicholls and Glenys Bentley harvested 42 points to have a four-point win when Springfield Ladies battled it out for Vivien Bleakley and Michele Haddican's prize.

Shiela Eaton's 66 was good enough to give her Rochdale Ladies' President's Prize ahead of Linda Handley (68) and Theresa Graham's 69. Lynn Birkbeck's aggregate of 139 clinched the President's Putter.

Ryan Grumbridge's Golf Clinic will return next Saturday.